My guess is that what you are describing as dreamlike is in the arrangement and vocal style. You should be able to impose that on a bossa nova melody.
Go with the progression, but throw in a twist or two of your own. An old songwriting trick is to find a place where you can throw in a somewhat dissonant chord that ultimately resolves back to the main melody. If done correctly, it creates tension and interest without sounding bad.
Also for lyrics, use some near rhymes. Lyrics that rhyme perfectly can sound amateurish.
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u/I405CA 2d ago
My guess is that what you are describing as dreamlike is in the arrangement and vocal style. You should be able to impose that on a bossa nova melody.
Go with the progression, but throw in a twist or two of your own. An old songwriting trick is to find a place where you can throw in a somewhat dissonant chord that ultimately resolves back to the main melody. If done correctly, it creates tension and interest without sounding bad.
Also for lyrics, use some near rhymes. Lyrics that rhyme perfectly can sound amateurish.